OUR STORY
WATA TOKEI designs watches where beauty emerges from purpose, forged through relentless pursuit of utility. Our name, blending WATA, an ancient word for ocean, with TOKEI, meaning watch, encapsulates our passion to create ocean-inspired timepieces. True to our clear name, we craft simple, uncluttered timepieces that blend function with grace, offering timeless sophistication.
It All Started at The Ocean
Nearly a decade ago, when I made my first 10km marathon swim and began spending weekends by the sea, I sought a vintage watch to symbolize a lifestyle of adventure and connection with the sea. Unexpectedly, I discovered a strikingly beautiful 1960s-era skindiver, a dive watch that deeply captivated me.
A Deep Dive, Salvaging Skindiver’s Soul
Since then, I loved wearing my skindiver daily and grew my collection over the years. Yet, as a vintage piece, a dive watch had to avoid water—a sad irony. Meanwhile, modern reissues lean toward luxury, departing from the affordable, practical tool watch of their era. Upsizing in their “modern reinterpretation” disrupts the harmonious proportions that made 60s skindivers so versatile. Skindiver watches were meant to be effortless companions for every adventure.
Can I revive the Skindiver’s soul, not just its stunning look but its essence as an accessible, practical watch of the 1960s? Wouldn’t it be exhilarating to craft a watch for the masses, its authentic beauty eclipsing the luxury sought by those prizing status? I yearned to unlock the beauty of simplicity and recreate its iconic size and details. A dream was forged to craft my ideal watch with my own hands.
Forging Functional Beauty with Japanese Aesthetic
The skindiver’s refined simplicity, formed by minimal elements, relies on delicate details. I believed I could inspire its subtle beauty only through countless trials. Drawing on my graphic design experience, I began designing with CAD, relentlessly chasing a form that honors its timeless essence.
Iterating designs, I realized the skindiver’s beauty lies in functional minimalism, forged through utility. Stripping away excess, its form echoes Zen’s art of subtraction and Japanese aesthetics.
What captivated me was its elegant simplicity in pursuing utility.
Rejecting superficial vintage homage, I reimagined the skindiver’s essence through Japanese aesthetics, forging its functional beauty into our distinctive signature style. With utility and beauty as twin pillars, our original designs embody our philosophy:
“Form Forged by Utility. Beauty Beyond Luxury.”
“Form Forged by Utility. Beauty Beyond Luxury.”